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The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said a necropsy showed the 27-foot-long male found on a Long Branch beach Saturday, Aug. 12, suffered blunt force trauma his his head and neck.
The whale is believed to have been struck by a boat — the second for this particular whale: A severed fluke blade was documented in 2022.
"Additional findings from the examination confirmed that the animal had been feeding on fish prior to its death," the MMSC said.
"Our entire team is deeply saddened by the death of this beautiful whale that we have come to know as a resilient individual who, after enduring a devastating injury, was able to adapt to his compromised fluke and carry on."
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